Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Japan/Mythology

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[edit] question

hi, may I join or is there a limit of how much you have to contribute first? I have another question regarding the naming which has "xxxx no xxxx" as name. For example it's Ninigi-no-Mikoto with the hyphen, but it's Soga no Kitashihime. Is there a certain rule or it's not clear? I personally prefer the version without hyphens... domō. Gryffindor 12:26, 2 March 2006 (UTC)

Hi, Gryffindor! Anyone is welcome, so please sign your name to the project page. As for the names of articles, that's an area we haven't yet strayed into. It's a good question, though, and one that should be addressed. In the meantime, you might post something at Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style (Japan-related articles), as your question deals with an issue with not just mythology-related subjects. — BrianSmithson 13:04, 2 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Soukou

Not 100% sure, as the information does not come from a Japanese source at all, but actually from a friend who is a hardcore emu-gamer(and thus is hearsay): the Soukou is the final boss of the Super Famicom videogame Kidou Soukou Dion. I wasn't able to confirm this on Google JP or on Goo. If someone else can take a shot at it, that'll probably be better, but I trust my source enough to change the {{unverified}} tag on the article to a {{hoax}}.--み使い Mitsukai 18:57, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Images

The main page here mentions that as Japan has a long artistic tradition, a lot of pictures, etc, are in the public domain, and many of the pages on Japanese mythology and folklore can benefit from this fact. Now, I am traveling to Japan at the end of this month, more specifically the 28th, and I'm going to be visiting Tokyo, as well as Kyoto and, if I remember correctly, Osaka, and have therefore a great deal of opportunities to take alot of photos(as I've got a digital camera, so it's quite possible for me to take a number of decent pictures). And as I was going to take a lot of pictures anyway, as I don't like to trust my own mind at these things, and I prefer to reserve it for my brainpower, it's not too big a burden for me to get some pictures taken. So if there is any sites or places for me to take pictures of, especially if they are specifically related to this, don't hesitate to list them here, as I'd more than happily take some extra pictures. Satanael 21:21, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Kamakura would be a good place to do so, if you can. It's just a trip south of Tokyo (on the Yokosuka line), and it has a rich history and cultural importance that might come in handy.--み使い Mitsukai 21:32, 5 March 2006 (UTC)
The comment about public domain is more aimed at the fact that you can pretty much swipe a scan of an old Japanese paintings from any old website and post them to Commons with no problem. But if you're going to Japan and want to do some footwork, I'd second Misukai's suggestion. Nara is another treasure trove of cultural artifacts; I believe it's part of Kyoto now. Just snap photos of any statues, scrolls, masks, carvings, etc. that you see (particularly statues). Here are a few statues it would be nice to have a Commons copy of: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]. (Actually, I notice that a lot of these are licensed under Creative Commons 2.0 and could therefore be uploaded to Commons already). Also keep an eye out for mythology-related statuettes, tourist items, etc. Some of these would be nice illustrations for articles. Sounds like fun! Have a good time in Japan! — BrianSmithson 21:51, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Nara's actually fairly far from Kyoto, but Brian's right, both are probably the best places in Japan for "Japanesy" pictures. Kamakura is also very good. But keep your camera on you all the time. There are small shrines virtually everywhere, and you never know when you'll get the perfect picture. Osaka and Tokyo are very modern cities, but they both have their traditional places if you know where to go. If you can't get to Kamakura, the best place to go in Tokyo is Asakusa, which is very traditional and also right in the middle of the city, whereas Kamakura is about an hour's train trip. The Emperor's palace and its gardens (there are some that have been opened to the public) are also good. Have a good trip! MikeDockery 00:50, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

BTW, make sure you are allowed to take pictures before you take them. In Kyoto, Nara or Kamakura they are generally used to tourists, so it won't be a problem, but in smaller areas you should make sure. If it's just a statue or something in a public place, it's fine, but inside the smaller shrines you should make sure. Basically, just use common sense, but you can look for: 写真 (photograph) and this:　止 (stop, or "no".) If these are written somewhere (there'll most likely be other kanji as well, but look for those) you probably can't take pictures. Or, if someone's around, just hold up your camera and ask "OK?". Although most Japanese people would never confront you about it, they do get irritated, and those of us who live here bear the brunt of their irritation. ;-) (I say this because I once took a picture of a car being blessed at a Shinto shrine, and my Japanese friend who was with me was horrified...) MikeDockery 01:05, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

Oh, ok. Thanks a lot for the heads up. I'll see what I can do then. :) Also, on a secondary not, I was wondering if you guys might know if obake karuta are commonly found(I'm pretty sure there might be, but hey, asking never killed 'ya ;)), and if so, are there any specific places where(also, are there any good, or famous decks that I should look out for)? Anyways, thanks for the kind comments. I'll be sure to enjoy myself. :) Satanael 21:51, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

If you remember it (or can write it down), you can say, "Koko de shashin wo totte mo ii deshou ka." (Is itokay to take a picture here?) --日本穣 23:14, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Consensus on the stub design...

Our stub proposal will be accepted tomorrow, so we can put up the template and start restubbing then. I think the general consesus on the picture is oni netsuko, although if we can find a color version it would be better. I suggest we go with the oni netsuko for now, and if something better comes along we can always change the template. どう思いますか? MikeDockery 00:41, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

I just finished finding and tagging all the mythology- and folklore-related images on Commons (the Japanese stuff there is still far from well categorized, but I put a dent in it), so I'd like to propose a few other design ideas. In the meantime, I don'ty see anything wrong with putting the oni netsuke up as a placeholder. — BrianSmithson 00:56, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
Just put up a colored oni mask version. Still fairly monochromatic, but the horns are much more prominent. I suggest we just go with this one and be done with it. It's the bottom one on my sandbox. — BrianSmithson 14:34, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
Go for it.--み使い Mitsukai 04:54, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
Looks like the devil when it's made smaller. Not a problem for me, but could be confusing for the random user. I prefer the new fox to the new oni. But we all know of my thing for foxes...since you've probably done the most work on the stub template, why don't you just pick one? The time limit is up on our proposal, so we can start re-stubbing whenever the template is ready. MikeDockery 06:18, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
Ha! It kind of does look like Satan, only he's sad about something. The fox is okay by me, only it's a bit too tall. Maybe if we monkey with it a bit more. As for the template, who creates it? The stub gods to whom we submitted the proposal? — BrianSmithson 12:45, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
Heh, maybe we should have called it {{depressed-demon-stub}}. ^_^ Anyway, I think the rules state that if there's no opposition (and there wasn't), after a week (which it has now been), we can start making the stub. So I guess we can move it from the sandbox and slap it on a template.--み使い Mitsukai 13:36, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lord Capulet...huh?

Lord Capulet - this article is in the category Category:People involved with Shinto. Does this really belong there? Does this really belong anywhere? MikeDockery 15:33, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

It's a joke statement. He's a writer for International Idiocy, a nn website. Which means we can probably {{prod}} this.--み使い Mitsukai 16:56, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
I just noticed that User:VanillaX, who has signed our project page, is a major editor of the Lord Capulet page. Perhaps he could address some of these concerns? MikeDockery 00:04, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I can definitely understand your concern. I take Japanese class at school so I have gotten really into Japanese mythology and Shinto (I actually started the WikiProject:Shinto and the Category:People involved with Shinto). While I was on the rouseindahouse forums, Lord Capulet began making posts about Shinto and how he wishes it was a more commonly accepted religion. I searched some on Google and I realized the guy has actually made a pretty big impact on the Internet (involvement in lots of sites, several of which he helped create) so I checked Wikipedia, and sure enough, there was an article on him by User:Elminster41111. I've since gotten to know Lord Capulet some. I think the guy really does believe in making sure Shinto and Japanese mythology are recognized. In a religion that has fewer and fewer notable figures as time goes on, I think we ought to recognize some of Shinto's biggest supporters in today's world, and, I've come to the conclusion that Lord Capulet might actually be one of them. I think that we should keep the article on him. I'm on the same page as you guys, I've put a lot of work into increasing Shinto-related knowledge on Wikipedia, I wouldn't want a joke page involved with it either, but Lord Capulet's no joke, so I'm fine with it staying. - User:VanillaX 22:39, 6 March 2996 (UTC)
Even in light of all that, I still think the article might not pass Wikipedia's standards for notability. My main concern is, I couldn't verify anything other than the fact that Lord Capulet wrote a single story on International Idiocy, which would clearly make the article non-notable. If you can point us in the direction of some sites where the stuff specifically related to Shinto can be verified, I might reconsider, but my current opinion is we send the article to AfD and see what the community says. MikeDockery 05:50, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
The Shinto claims can be verified here. These guys here link to one of his projects. Lemme find some more links to him. The guy is notable, he's made a pretty big impact on the internet community. - VanillaX 22:02, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

I just don't see enough evidence that this article is notable. Why don't we send it through the deletion process, and if there is evidence of Lord Capulet's notability, it will come out during the debate. We can send it through AfD, rather than prod, because there is some controversy. MikeDockery 01:12, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Straw poll on stub

Two kitsune, two oni. I like all four, so let's decide this! :) Sign your name under your favorite. — BrianSmithson 14:55, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

This article relating to a myth or legend from Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
  • My preferred oni. Monochromatic, but the contrast makes it work. — BrianSmithson 14:55, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
  • I prefer this oni, mainly because it couldn't be mistaken for Satan. MikeDockery 15:50, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
This article relating to a myth or legend from Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
  • My preferred fox. I couldn't even tell what the other one was until I clicked through to the image page. MikeDockery 15:50, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
  • Kitsune no ho ga ii. I would prefer a more whiter and better looking kitsune though. All are good, but I think the kitsune would be the most "mysterious" one... Gryffindor 03:28, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
This article relating to a myth or legend from Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
  • I think this one would work best, if for no other reason than it looks really, really unique. Yeah, unique, that's the word... ^_^;;;--み使い Mitsukai 15:15, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
This article relating to a myth or legend from Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
  • My preferred kitsune. He looks kind of mean, but he stands out better than the white one. — BrianSmithson 14:55, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
  • I like this one - VanillaX 21:56, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
  • Going to throw my vote in here, too, for what it's worth at this point. It's perhaps a little busy, but a great pic. The topmost oni works for me, too. - Shimeru 09:51, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Futen and Fujin

Quick quetion: Is Futen the same god as Fujin? They're both gods of wind, as far as I can tell, so I'm wondering if it's just an alternate spelling. Here's the deity in question: Image:Hanabusa Futen, the Wind Deity.jpg. — BrianSmithson 03:58, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

They are not same. Futen (風天) is a god of prosperity and longevity (not wind) in Buddhism (not shinto). nnh 00:15, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
Thanks. Seems the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has him mislabeled. — BrianSmithson 01:41, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Article Improvement Drive / Collaboration of the Week

I think the project should have a specific article that we all work to improve. Similar to the Article Improvement Drive or the Collaboration of the Week, but specific to the Japanese Mythology project. Thoughts? MikeDockery 09:50, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Getting something mythology-related through FAC is definitely on my to-do list, but without good sources, I feel like I'm kind of up a creek. It seems that most Japanese mythology articles are sourced with webpages, and such articles have come under round criticism in FAC lately. But I have no problem with a collaboration, though I can't promise very active contributions. I'd suggest something well-known and probably well-covered in print sources. Maybe Amaterasu or another major deity. — BrianSmithson 13:02, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
I was thinking more of a general improvement drive, not neccesarily to the level of a Featured Article, but just a collaboration to work some of the stubs into full article status. Also, I'm sure we're going find some stubs that will likely never be expanded, so we should come up with a grouping system to redirect those into a single, full-length article. We have a lot of stubs under the project at the moment; I think a better way to go about these would be to start with a single, full-length article, and then break off articles from there when the sections become too large.
A FAC drive would definitely be more difficult. If we wanted to do that, we should use the availabilty of written sources as a criteria for which article to focus on. MikeDockery 02:12, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Verification

An editor has called to question something on the Tsukumogami page, namely the inclusion of an anime character as an example of tsukumogami. The reason is that the character is an automaton that comes to life after 100 years of being shut down. While it's clear that he dislikes anime (and that's not the issue), I have rewritten things slightly to accomodate him without removing the reference (I kept it because it's one of the few - if not the only - cases of a "modern" tsukumogami).

The issue at hand is that he says it is impossible for the character to be a tsukumogami, as the automaton ran on electricity, and electricity repells yokai. This is the first I have ever heard of this information (not much electricity - other than lightning and static - going on back in pre-Meiji times), I'm suspecting that this is a bias to edit out a unique example that just happens to be anime-based. As he has presented no citation for this claim, and I have not found any, I'm asking all to see if there's anyone who has heard of this.--み使い Mitsukai 14:01, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

I think what he's referring to is the fact that there's kind of this idea that the introduction of electricity to Japan chased away the yōkai. It's sort of an analogy for Japan's modernization destroying belief in the old traditions. The only direct reference to the idea I could find is in this interview with Shigeru Mizuki—a manga/anime creator. At any rate, the idea that an idea like this can be held to be absolutely true is ludicrous. Folklore and mythology are fluid in nature, so the beliefs about monster X in one place will not match those in another. Any "rules" are especially breakable in anime and manga. That said, I don't particularly care for anime/manga examples, either. ;P — BrianSmithson 14:28, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
I'm familiar with the Shigeru interview. However, I don't find the issue so alarming about the anime character (it's not from a series that I care about, truthfully), so much as the squelching of information and the concept that the concept is absolute, especially (as you note) with something as fluid as folk traditions. But thanks for the info, though.--み使い Mitsukai 16:27, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, it seems kind of silly to build an arguement on something like "electricity repels Yokai". I think the way you distinquished it is fine, since there's only one pop culture reference at the moment. But if someone adds another one, I think they should probably be moved under a seperate "Pop Culture" section of the article, just to distinquish it from traditional folklore. I only have a problem with anime references when the article is just a few sentences on the folktale, and then two screens of anime references; the folklore should be the main focus of the article. But the single anime reference on the tsukumogami article seems fine to me; like you said, it adds information, so why not? MikeDockery 22:13, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, in this case, it's harmless. But beware: Pop-culture references are like cancer. As soon as someone adds that "In popular culture" section (alias "In media" or "Trivia"), the bullet points multiply until the section becomes that two-page monster you describe! I'm being fairly tongue-in-cheek with my naysaying, but I do think a reasonable guideline for whether a particular pop-culture reference is appropriate is the importance of the character/thing in question. For example, good: "I Love Tengu is an anime about a college-aged ne'er-do-well who is befriended by a ronin tengu." Bad: "A tengu can be seen in the crowd during the bike racing scene of the video game Speed Yasha Z-hime. :) — BrianSmithson 04:15, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
Speak of the devil, I just added a "trivia" section to The Dream Of Akinosuke. ;P MikeDockery 05:30, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Karuta card images...

Brian, it would be much easier to name these creatures if the reading cards from the set were available. For now, I will show the images to some Japanese people and see if they have any guesses, but my feeling is most of them are gonna ask for the reading cards. MikeDockery 01:43, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, unfortunately the website I got them from didn't post that part. :( — BrianSmithson 04:23, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
The kana will be simple enough. My current suspicion is that the monster depicted shares the same first syllable as the kana depicted; if so, that will make identification a little easier. I can't comfirm that yet, though. Looking through them now. Shimeru 05:27, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
Okay, perhaps not. I've identified 1-08 (chochinobake, chi -- the "cho" is written "chi(subscript yo)" in kana, so this would fit the theory) and 1-02 (rokurokebi, ro), in addition to the previously-IDed 2-04 (tanuki, ta), but the theory seems to fall apart with 1-12 (kana wo, but it looks like it might be nekomata). Similarly, 4-06 is "shi," but it seems to have been identified as hitotsume-kozo. I think that 2-03 ("fu") is meant to be futakichi-onna, but I can't say for sure. Will go through tomorrow and ID all the kana. Shimeru 06:18, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
Probably not, although I couldn't say for sure without the reading cards. Normally, the reading cards have a short verse or sentence that describes the situation depicted in the picture. The verses or sentences would probably have the name of the Obake in them, but the first word wouldn't neccesarily be the name of the creature. Typically, the kana would be the first word in the sentence (the first word the caller says), not the first word of the Obake's name. But there's many different kinds of karuta, so I can't be certain without the reading cards. MikeDockery 07:24, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
I could be wrong on the hitotsume-kozō card, Shimeru, so don't use that as evidence against your theory. There are a few that the site itself named; I'll try to add those in later today. — BrianSmithson 12:43, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
I've tentatively IDed a couple more. Two support the card syllable = first syllable of creature name theory: nue and Yuki-onna. Three (supported by the source website) do not: tsuchigumo, funayūrei, and kitsune. — BrianSmithson 14:43, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
The "tsuchigumo" one is correct. If the kana is ra, the person on the card is undoubtedly Minamoto no Yorimitsu, better known as Minamoto no Raikō, the famous tsuchigumo slayer. I amended the card info to reflect that.--み使い Mitsukai 14:51, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] deity infobox

User:Squilibob was very generous in making a template for Hindu gods and goddesses. May be you guys would like to take a look and make your own Template:Hdeity infobox

{{Hdeity infobox| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology-->
  Image                    = 
| Caption                  = 
| Name                     = 
| Devanagari               = 
| Sanskrit_Transliteration = 
| Pali_Transliteration     = 
| Tamil_script             = 
| Affiliation              = 
| God_of                   = <!--eg. god of death-->
| Abode                    =
| Mantra                   =
| Weapon                   = 
| Consort                  = 
| Mount                    = 
| Planet                   = 
}}

--Dangerous-Boy 20:46, 17 May 2006 (UTC)


[edit] new catagory and moving topic

Hey all. Not quite sure to go about this as I am pretty new to wikipedia, but I figured this was a good place to ask.

First off, the article Kwaidan should be labled Kaidan. I brought this up on the discussion page for that article, but no editor seems to be monitoring it, so it was suggested that I post here.

Also, I would like to have a new category, "kaidan," created to link together all of the articles on Japanese ghost stories. Is it possible to get this done?

Thanks in advance for the help.

MightyAtom 03:28, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately, this project has been pretty dead for the past few weeks. But hopefully Nihonjoe or some of the other Japanese speakers are monitoring and can answer your first question.
As for the second (regarding the category), would this be different from the hypothetical Category:Japanese ghosts? -- BrianSmithson 14:02, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

To bad! I get excited about something after the ball is over! Ah well...

Moving Kwaidan should be a bit of a no-brainer, and I am surprised it hasn't been done before. If you look at all other uses of kaidan in wikipedia, such as Yotsuya Kaidan, they all use the correct spelling. That page is the only hold-out.

and Category:Kaidan would be different from Category:Japanese ghosts for the simple reason that, while all ghosts are kaidan, not all kaidan are ghosts. Things like the Yuki Onna and Kappa would be considered kaidan, along with yurei and onryou. Kaidan is just a broader, more inclusive term that covers everything.

MightyAtom 22:20, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Roshoman gate

Any reason why the Roshoman gate is listed as a sacred and/or mythical place on the Nav Bar? It is neither. MightyAtom 06:41, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Sorry to move this comment here, but typically, archives are not supposed to be edited. -- BrianSmithson 14:11, 6 July 2006 (UTC)


Whoops! Sorry! Thanks for the help! MightyAtom 22:21, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles

Greetings WikiProject Japanese mythology! I'm part of another Wikiproject, Wikipedia:WikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles. I'm not sure if there's been any kind of official or unofficial inter-Wikiproject cooperation between our two projects, or if there's been any contact at all in the past, but I thought I'd come here anyways and say 'hi' and to say a little something about my project. WikiProject Missing Encyclopedic Articles' essentially goal is to help Wikipedia become better than any other encyclopedia/major repository of information, by including articles on every topic in any other encyclopedia/major repository of information. A lot of the project focusses on things like the Encylopedia Brittanica, Columbia, Gutenberg authors, etc, but the section I thought might interest you guys is the Hotlist of Mythology & Folklore. It began with a list of 17,346 articles, and it's now down to 7,678 (56% done). It includes all types of mythology, including a fair bit of Japanese. I bet if we got some input from you guys, who actually know something about mythology, we could make a serious dent in what's left. If you're interested, check out the project page, drop me a line, or just start contributing. Thanks! --Gpollock 22:30, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Take a look?

I just finished up three new articles for this project. If anyone is still nosing around here, I would appreciate it if they would take a look and give me some feedback.

Thanks!

MightyAtom 13:27, 18 July 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Encyclopedia Mythica

I added pantheon.org to the list of suspicious sites. It seems to be the source of a couple of names added to the legendary creature list which I can find no reference to on the Japanese-language internet. (Those being "Yofune-nushi" and "Uwibami" for the record.) Kotengu 04:59, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

Might interest you guys that we figured out the source of the Yofune-nushi legend over at obakemono.com . It's been recorded by a guy called Richard Smith, and can be seen in full here. Still, no Japanese sources. Should the legend be included with a disclaimer? It does get mentioned around in the English internets, so it is in a way notable, only possibly fictious... TomorrowTime 01:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
I would say yes... as long as there are English sources. Even if it's a hoax, as long as it's a noteworthy one, it merits inclusion. Shimeru 05:00, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
Done. Yofune-nushi. I'm having difficulties coming up with categories for this. I'm not sure whether it should be categorized as J-myth, since it most probably doesn't belong. What say ye?TomorrowTime 12:59, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Hm. It is hard to say. I think I'd put it in Category:Japanese folklore and Category:Fakelore, just to be thorough. Shimeru 20:42, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New username, old contributor

I've been doing some minor editing and stuff around wiki Japan-related sites for a while now, but now I've got myself a username. I added myself to the project - I'm not really an expert, but I'm interested in Japanese folklore, and I speak fluent Japanese, so I hope to be able to help out here and there. TomorrowTime 01:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Peer review for Kitsune

I'm working on bringing kitsune up to at least GA status. There's a lot to be done, but I don't think it's too far out of reach. I'd appreciate any feedback at its peer review. Shimeru 01:49, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I've now cited the article, and nominated it as a good article. Shimeru 20:52, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Zashiki-warashi & Kamaitachi

I rehashed these two articles with some help from the Japanese versions. I was mostly looking to give them a more serious, less anime-y feel. Take a look and tell me what you think. Also, can anybody find a decent picture of a zashiki-warashi? I'm not particularly happy with the stereotypical manga lass that's there now. Other than the caption underneath it, there's nothing "zashiki-warashi" about her. If nothing better can be found, I'll just kick out the pic that's there now.

One more thing: I deleted this from the article:

" the zashiki-warashi inhabits an astral plane within the home, and will only materialize when something happens, such as when the inhabitants are in grave danger or some other serious issue threatens the home and its residents".

Huh? Excuse me? Astral plane? Say what? The info stems from this (overall rather dodgy) edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zashiki-warashi&direction=next&oldid=28241740 Also from the same edit is the notion of subterranean lodges constructed for zashiki-warashi. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the Japanese actually did something like this, but until I see some proof I'm still weary of this particular bit of info, and will probably kick it out in some time. TomorrowTime 18:56, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Yyyyyeah... that sort of claim I'd want to see sourced. I think you did the right thing there. Both articles look pretty well improved to me. I'll see what I can do about other sources. As for the image, have you tried searching Japanese woodblock print images for one? Yokai were a fairly popular subject, so there might be something there, and the traditional ones have the additional benefit of being in the public domain. Shimeru 10:22, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not particularly happy with the stereotypical manga lass that's there now. Other than the caption underneath it, there's nothing "zashiki-warashi" about her. If nothing better can be found, I'll just kick out the pic that's there now.
It looks like it wasn't even uploaded by the artist, so I'd say it can be kicked out with impunity, or at least replaced with Mizuki's version without losing any copyright face. Kotengu 04:56, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ratings

I've enabled rating articles and article importance within the Jmyth template. See Template talk:Jmyth for documentation. Shimeru 23:36, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] FAC for Kitsune

Kitsune is now a Featured Article candidate. Reviews welcome. Shimeru 10:24, 10 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Navbox Update

I just gave the Navbox a major contents overhaul. I couldn't understand why "Nezumi Kozo" was in there and "Amaterasu" wasn't, and from the talk page it looks like I wasn't alone. Hope nobody minds. Kotengu 09:56, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Requesting help from this project

Hello. I'm currently trying to get the article List of haunted locations cleaned up a bit. The two main problems with it are lack of references, and a western bias. Someone specifically requested on the talk page that information be added on haunted locations in Japan. They said that "Japan is widely considered to be the most haunted place on earth" (I have no idea where that assertion comes from). I asked for help with this at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Japan, and was advised to try asking here. Would someone from this project mind heading over to that article with references and working on the section on Japan? I found a little bit of information on the Yūrei page, but more would be nice. Thank you. ~ ONUnicorn(Talk|Contribs) 20:54, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Day Awards

Hello, all. It was initially my hope to try to have this done as part of Esperanza's proposal for an appreciation week to end on Wikipedia Day, January 15. However, several people have once again proposed the entirety of Esperanza for deletion, so that might not work. It was the intention of the Appreciation Week proposal to set aside a given time when the various individuals who have made significant, valuable contributions to the encyclopedia would be recognized and honored. I believe that, with some effort, this could still be done. My proposal is to, with luck, try to organize the various WikiProjects and other entities of wikipedia to take part in a larger celebrartion of its contributors to take place in January, probably beginning January 15, 2007. I have created yet another new subpage for myself (a weakness of mine, I'm afraid) at User talk:Badbilltucker/Appreciation Week where I would greatly appreciate any indications from the members of this project as to whether and how they might be willing and/or able to assist in recognizing the contributions of our editors. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 18:53, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Japanese mythology or Shinto, or both?

Hello, everybody. I have a question. If an article is explicitly about a being in the Shinto religion, should that page be considered for inclusion in the scope of this project as well? I am currently trying to tag all the articles that I think fall within the scope of this project, and find that I have faced this question a number of times now. If yes, under what circumstances? Also, should Shinto articles in general also be considered within the scope of this project? Thank you for your attention and thank you in advance for your responses. Badbilltucker 15:37, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Mythic Shinto characters probably fall in the scope of the project; things that only have to do with the actual practice of Shinto and not its stories probably don't. That's how I would see it anyway. Kotengu 小天狗 20:52, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
Makes sense to me. Thanks for the clarification. I'm trying to develop article pages for all the projects to help them in monitoring their articles, including both this project and the Shinto project, and it helps to know which articles should count for inclusion where. Badbilltucker 18:03, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
This one's a rather quiet project at the moment, but I'd agree with Kotengu. The various personified kami are mythological figures; Shinto rituals probably aren't. Locations may be, depending on whether there's a myth explaining the establishment of a particular location as sacred. Shimeru 20:02, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Task force?

I think this project may work better as a task force of WikiProject Japan. Anyone have any thoughts on that? ···日本穣? · Talk to Nihonjoe 01:51, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I totally agree. It really isn't substantial enough to be a wikiproject on its own. A task force is probably much more appropriate.MightyAtom 03:13, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
Maybe "Asian mythology" would be broad enough? I was thinking about starting a project on that topic, since this one does seem a little exclusive. Kotengu 小天狗 07:36, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] about Template:User Jmyth

Hello, all. I have a suggestion for Template:User Jmyth. (Perhaps, you know,) There is used Yotsuya Kaidan's image now. But Yotsuya Kaidan was written in Genroku period (Edo period), not Japanese mythology. So I think the image should be changed.

英語では語弊があるかも知れないので日本語でも書いておきます。(Possiblly, there are misleading in English, I write in Japanese too.)
Template:User Jmythで使われている画像は、ご存知かもしれませんが、ja:四谷怪談(Yotsuya Kaidan)の画像です。四谷怪談はja:元禄時代に書かれた物であり、日本神話には出てきません。なので、Template:User Jmythの画像を変更するほうがいいと考えます。

--Lonchi Awotsuki**(蒼月ろんち) 09:19, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What gives?

Hofus the Stonecutter.

Huh? An ancient Japanese legend about a guy called Hofus? Am I the only one who thinks this is rubish? TomorrowTime 19:49, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Just wanted to say I got some help from the project Japan page and updated the article. Appears to be one of those "It happened over there (insert country here)" stories. TomorrowTime 08:52, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Buddhism subjects

A lot of general-interest Buddhism topics have been added to this WikiProject lately. Is this a good idea? These are elements of Japanese religion, for sure, but I wouldn't have thought to described the Buddha as a Japanese mythological figure.—Nat Krause(Talk!·What have I done?) 04:11, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Japan is a Buddhist country, and Buddha definitely makes up a part of its current mythology. The fact that he did not originate in Japan, nor is exclusively Japanese, does not discount the fact that he is a major influence and figure in Japanese mythology.MightyAtom 04:49, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
This has been discussed before here: Wikipedia talk:WikiProject_Religion#List of articles where mythology cats are potentially problematic. Look at it this way: would one expect Jesus to appear in Wikiprojects such as "French mythology" or "American mythology"?—Nat Krause(Talk!·What have I done?) 15:26, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Baku (spirit) revision

I wanted to let people know that I've revised the entry for Baku (spirit), adding references and distinguishing more sharply between traditional baku with their elephant heads and tiger claws and modern manga/anime dream-eating tapirs.

Timothy Perper 15:11, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article needing attention: Japanese superstitions

This article is being considered for deletion (Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Japanese superstitions) but it is being improved during the process. The article has potential but is in dire need of attention. If you are knowledgeable on this topic, please help save this article.--12 Noon 15:28, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jūichimen Kannon needs help

Jūichimen Kannon needs help from someone familiar with Buddhist mythology. There's a lot of info in the Japanese article that could be translated, and there are likely references out there with information. ···日本穣? · Talk to Nihonjoe 04:08, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Marebito

Can somebody please take a look at this article? It's somewhat incomprehensible in it's current state. I was tempted to AfD it, but I'd rather not if it's a genuine encyclopedic subject. PC78 (talk) 19:52, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Hmm... Seems to be a genuine folkloristic term, coined by Origuchi. The fact that the ja:wiki article has "cargo cult" in the See also section explains some things. I'll look into this tomorrow, if nobody else volunteers - in the least, I can do a little data transfer from ja:wiki and see if I can also dig up something on the series of tubes. TomorrowTime (talk) 22:20, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
Phew, I know I promised to look into this, but something big came up, and I have almost no wiki-time right now :( I'll definitely fiddle some with the article in a couple days though. TomorrowTime (talk) 08:11, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Navboxes

So, I think I'm going to join this taskforce and really dive into these mythology articles. But a big question I have is about the 3 navboxes you guys have. I can't seem to figure out when to use which or why certain articles use one type and not the other. Plus a lot of mythology articles do not even have the template. What are the rules of thumb here? I want to make sure and start standardizing articles across the board Torsodog (talk) 04:50, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Which navboxes are you refering to?MightyAtom (talk) 16:08, 6 June 2008 (UTC)